Clothes-drying machine



. DAVIS.

CLOTHES DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1921.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET I INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Ha. Z

WITNESSES S. H. DAVIS.

CLOTHES DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21,192I.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIII' I' ll lNVE/VTOR.

S. H. DAVIS.

CLOTHES DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, I921.

Patented Dot. 1?, 11922.

3 SHEE"I'SSHEET 3.

"k FM. 4

' INVENTOR.

NM, BY

Patented @ct. I7, I922,

UNITED STATEg SEWARD H. DAVIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CLOTHES-DRYING MACHINE.

a lication filed February 21', 1921. Serial No. 446,623.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I SEWARD H. DAVIS, a citizen of the United states,residing in the city of Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Clothes-DryingMachine, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it pertains to make and use same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of these specifications.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple clothes dryingmachine, whereby the clothes, after washing, may be placed inside anddried immediately without the extra labor of hanging and drying in theopen air.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine that is simple inconstruction, easily and efiiciently operated, and can be manufacturedat a low cost which will enable the drier to be sold for family use.

These several objects are secured in their preferred form by theconstruction and arran 'ement of parts as are more fully hereinafterdescribed.

Similar parts on all drawings are marked by similar numerals or letters.

Fig. 1, is a side view of the drier showing the general arrangement ofthe different units and the operating mechanism.

Fig. 2, is a back view of the drier showing the relative position of theoperating mechanism and the heating apparatus.

Fig. 3, is a top view showing the arrangement of the heating andcirculating units.

Fig. 4, is a cross section of the heating unit showing the walls and airgrates for the oven air circulation.

I will now describe more fully the detailed construction of the drierand the working parts thereof, referring to the accompanying drawingsand the marks thereon. V

The preferred form of the drier is substantially as shown in thedrawings, consisting of a supporting frame A made of angle irons,placing one at each corner in a vertical position for the supportinglegs, and securely fastening cross pieces thereto, for the purpose ofsupporting the various parts of the driving and operatin mechanism, alsoto make a strong and rlgid frame to support the drier. The corner posts,or legs, on the back are preferably made straight to the top of themachine for the purpose of supporting the drier oven, heating the airbefore entering the top of the drier casing. The front supporting legsand drier walls attached thereto, are curved backward, conforming to thedrier cylinder as shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of holding thecirculating air in the drier cylinder and forcing it to pass through theclothes. Inside the frame --A is the drier casing -1-, which is securelyfastened to the frame and made practically air tight by means ofsoldered joints. The bottom of the casing is of a circular form to fitthe drying cylinder revolving therein, with the end construction ofstraight or vertical sides conforming to the ends of the drier cylinder.Inside the casin --1-, and supported by the bearings 3 3,115 4, is thedrying cylinder -2. The cylinder may be constructed either of wirescreen or perforated sheet metal, and is cylindrical in form with closedends. Journals 5 and 6 are attached to the ends of the cylinder 2, andrun in the bearings 3 and 4-, as the drum is rotated backward andforward by the operating mechanism. Inside the casing -1- and at variouspositions along the walls are angle bars 4l-, to close the openingbetween the casing and the drier cylinder 2--', forcing the air throughthe cylinder and the clothes within. Inside the cylinder -2 are bafi'iestrips -7. These strips are placed at different sections of the cylinderto carry the clothes a partial revolution with the drum and allow themto fall to the bottom, thus keeping them separated and loosened so thedrying air will pass freely through and make the drying process moreefficient. The drying cylinder revolves in both directions, makingseveral turns in one direction, and

then the driving mechanism reverses automatically, turning the cylinderin the opposite direction, thus preventing the winding or matting of theclothes as would result if the cylinder rotated continuously in the samedirection. One side of the cylinder is provided with a loose or hingedsection 43- for putting in and taking out the clothes. The top of thecasing 1 is made of a jointed section, hinged together at the center andthe back, to allow easy access to the drier. For placing the clothes inthe drier cylinder, the door 8 in front, can easily be opened withoutremoving the top, but if access to the entire cylinder is desired, theentire top may be turned back on the side hinges. The drying cylinder-fi2 is kept in motion by the power motor -9, installed in the base ofthe supporting frame A, and is connected to the driving shaft --10,which 1n turn carries a worm wheel 11- securely fastened to the outerend. The worm wheel 11 engages the gear 12- which is keyed to the lowerend of shaft --13. At the upper end of the shaft 13- is keyed the gear--14. Directly above the gear 1 4-, and at right an le thereto, is an aternatmg shaft -15. Mbunted loosely thereon, is gear -16-. Gear 16--meshes with the drive gear -14. Gear -16 also meshes with the idler gear17-, which in turn meshes with the loosely mounted gear --18. Gears --16and 18 revolve freely on the shaft l5-. At the end of shaft 15 and keyedthereto is drive gear 19--. Gear 19 meshes with gear 20. Gear -20 iskeyed to the driving journal -6- which operates the drying cylinder 2.Mounted on the shaft 15-, and loosely splined thereto, is a ratchetcollar 21--. Collar 21- carries notches at either end which engage theprojecting pins on the face of gears 16 and 18. Engaged in the groove incenter of collar 21--, is the forked rocker 22, which is connected tothe rocker shaft -23 and arm -241. By movement of the rocker arm '-24forward, the ratchet collar 21- engages the projecting pins in the faceof the gear .16, and thus connects the power gear from the motordirectly with the shaft 15-, causing the rotation of the drier cylinderMounted on the journal 6, but turning freely thereon, is a trip lever25- which carries a star wheel -26-- at the top thereof. The star wheelhaving one long point which strikes a stop pin and prevents it frommaking a complete turn, or revolution. Inserted in the back of gear -20is a trip pin 27 which engages the points of the star wheel, turning itone point on each revolution of the drying cylinder. Upon making anumber of revolutions equal to the number of points on the star wheel-2G, the long point on the star strikes the stop pin and carries the arm-.25- past the center into its new position. By means of rod -28-, thearm 25 is connected with the rocker arm 24, and the change in positionof 25-, slides the ratchet collar -2l away from gear 16- and engagesgear 18, reversing the motion of the drying cylinder for a number ofrevolutions, then trips automatically by means of the star 7 wheel andconnecting arms to the ratchet collar 21, and again reverses the motionof the drying cylinder, which continues to repeat the alternatingdirections of the cylinder. At the bottom of the casing 1 images is anopening --29- connected directly with the exhaust fan -30-. Opening 29-is covered by a screen to prevent any thing from being drawn into thefan. The fan 3()- is connected to the motor shaft 10 by means of apulley anl belt, and operated at a sufficient speed to cause a suctionof the air through the heating unit B, down through the dr ing cylinderand exhausted through the an 30- at the opening -31-. The flow of airthrough the fan may be regulated by means of the damper -32 in theintake pipe -33. At the top and the back of the drier frame --A islocated the heating unit --B. The air heater is comprised of a primarycirculating box 34--, supported by means of brackets 35. At the frontside of the box 34 is an air intake grate and slide 36. Inside of theprimary box 34 is a secondary circulating box 37' of a corrugatedsurface. Inside the box 37-- is the heating oven 38, also of acorrugated surface and with the corrugations concentric with thecorrugations on the box -37, but at a distance therefrom to allow forthe free passage of the circulating air over the heating oven. Thecorrugations are for the urpose of increasing the heating surface 0 theoven, and the efliciency of the heater. Inside the oven is the heaterconsisting of an ordinary gas burner, but may be of any type of heatproducing unit. The gas burner herein used consists of a pipe withnumerous jets located along its length, for lighting and burning thegas. Outside the oven, the gas burner is provided with an air mixer 40-,and the pipe then connected to the gas supply. The fiow of gas isregulated by the ordinary valve in the feed pipe. In the primary box37--, shown in Fig. 4, the front wall C opposite the air intake grate36, extends from the base D-- to the top E-, but is open at one end toallow the passage of air around the end of the box -37-. The to wall -Fof box 37- extends the entire length of the box, and closes same so noair can escape over the top into the drier without first passing overthe oven. The air entering the grate'-36-, passes around the outside ofbox -37-- to the back side G, and enters the oven through the opening H,and is then free to circulate around the entire box -38, as indicated bythe arrows, and into the drier through the openings 42-, and

saeee means for operating same, an air heating unit, means forconnecting same to the top of the drier casing, an exhaust fan, meansfor operating same, means for connecting the sameto the bottom of thedrier casing, means for regulating the flow of air through the exhaustfan, means for preventing any obstacle from entering the exhaust fan.

2. In a clothes drying machine comprisin an inclosed, erforated,rotatable drier c-y inder, means tor operating same, an air heatingunit, means for connecting same to the top of the drier casing, airbaffle bars outside the drier cylinder to force the air through thedrier and clothes, an exhaust fan, means for connecting same to thebottom of the drier casing, means for operating same to exhaust the dampair from the drier..

3. In a clothes drying machine comprising a rotatable drying cylinder,means for operating same, means for inclosing same,

an exhaust fan, means for operating same, means for connecting same tothe bottom of the drier casing, in combination with an air heatingapparatus comprising an outer primary air box, means for entering theair therein, a secondary air box installed therein, an inclosed airheating oven installed inside the secondary box, means for circulatingand heating air, and means for connecting said circulation with the topof the drier casing. 4. In a clothes drying machine of the characterdescribed comprising an inclosed, perforated, rotatable cylinder, meansfor operating" same, an exhaust fan, means for operating same, means forconnecting said fan to the bottom of the drier casing, in combinationwith an airheating apparatus comprising an outer primary air box, meansfor entering air therein, a secondary air box installed therein, meansfor circulating the air around the secondary box, means for entering theair into the secondary box, means for circulating air over. the heatingoven, a heating unit and means for connecting same with the top of thedrier casing.

5. In a clothes drying machine comprising an inclosed, rotatable dryingcylinder, means for operating same, an exhaust fan, means for operatingsame, means for connecting same to the bottom of the drier casing, anair heating unit comprising an outer primary air box, means for enteringair therein, a secondary air box installed therein, means forcirculating the air around the secondary box means for entering the airinto the secondary box, means for circulating the air over the heatingunit, means for regulating the flow of air through the oven and meansfor connecting the same with the top of the drier casing.

6. In a drying machine comprising an inclosed, rotatable dryingcylinder, means for operating the same, means for connecting the same tothe drier casing, an exhaust fan, means for operating same, means forconnecting same to the drier, an air heating unit comprising an outerprimary air box, means for entering air therein, a secondary air boxinstalled inside the primary box and made of a corrugated surface, aninclosed oven also of a corrugated surface with said corrugationsinterwoven with those of the secondary air box but with an air spacebetween them for the circulating air, means for circulating the air overthe oven, means for heating the air and means for entering the air inthe top of the drier casing.

In testimony whereof I, SEWARD H. DAVIS, sign these specifications.

SEWARD H. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

IDA M. DAVIS, M. J. Dmxns.

